South Georgia county, city fight over responsibility for fire hydrant upkeep

Posted: Sunday, March 12, 2000

By Associated Press

KINGSLAND -- Fire hydrant water pressure in outlying areas of Kingsland has returned to normal after a court agreement that the city would yield to Camden County -- at least temporarily -- in a dispute over the hydrants.

The city and county have been fighting over the hydrants since last fall, when the county canceled a mutual fire aid agreement with Kingsland.

The county refused to pay the city $75,000 a year, which would have paid for mutual aid and upkeep of the hydrants, city officials said.

The dispute is upsetting to homeowners in the county hooked up to city water. This week, some of them discovered notices attached to hydrants near their homes informing them there was no guarantee that they would work in case of a fire.

''They're arguing over money, but you can't put a price on a human life,'' area resident Calvin Lewis said. ''Where's the concern? Where's the compassion of these people?''

Water pressure was raised to original levels Friday after attorneys representing the city and county met with Superior Court Judge E.M. Wilkes III. The verbal agreement will remain in effect until a judge hears the case and makes a final ruling, said Barry King, Camden County administrator.

''This restrains them by agreement,'' King said. ''My folks will monitor to be certain that we have 1,100 gallons a minute.''

Before the judge's ruling, County Commission Chairman Bob Becker said the city's actions bordered on ''criminal negligence.''

''This is reckless. This is irresponsible. I cannot believe this,'' Becker said.

Kingsland officials, however, had a different interpretation of the dispute.

They filed a criminal complaint after they learned county workers conducted a water pressure check of city hydrants in the county.

That test showed a 65 percent reduction in pressure -- from 1,100 gallons a minute to 380 gallons a minute.

The county had no business tampering with city property, said Dayton Gillette, Kingsland city manager, who asked the Sheriff's Office to investigate and charge anyone connected to the hydrant testing.

''That's Kingsland property, and no one has business messing with it,'' Gillette said. ''I consider that criminal damage of city property by whoever tampered with that line.''

County resident Theresa Alexander said she'd sue the city if her house burned down because county fire trucks couldn't hook up to a hydrant across the street.

''It's very concerning. They're playing with people's lives,'' she said. ''I have two kids to think about.''